Anthony Bourdain with cappuccino and bomba
PureWow’s “The Best Doughnut Shop in Every Single State”
As if I didn’t need another reason to love everything coming from PureWow, now there is this:
- Alabama – Heavenly Donut Company in Birmingham
- Alaska – The Kobuk in Anchorage
- Arizona – Bosa Donuts (various locations)
- Arkansas – Mark’s Do-nut Shop in North Little Rock
- California – Donut Bar in San Diego
- Colorado – Glazed & Confused in Denver
- Connecticut – Dottie’s Diner in Woodbury
- Delaware – Duck Donuts in Newark
- Florida – Mojo Donuts in Hollywood
- Georgia – Revolution Doughnuts in Decatur
- Hawaii – Leonard’s Bakery in Honolulu
- Idaho – Guru Donuts in Boise
- Illinois – The Doughnut Vault in Chicago
- Indiana – Long’s Bakery in Indianapolis
- Iowa – Topped Doughnuts in Ankeny
- Kansas – Hana’s Donuts in Kansas City
- Kentucky – Nord’s Bakery in Louisville
- Louisiana – District: Donuts. Sliders. Brew. in New Orleans
- Maine – The Holy Donut in Portland
- Maryland – Fractured Prune in Ocean City
- Massachusetts – Back Door Donuts in Oak Bluffs, Martha’s Vineyard
- Michigan – Propaganda Doughnuts in Grand Rapids
- Minnesota – Glam Doll Donuts in Minneapolis
- Mississippi – Monroe’s in Jackson
- Missouri – Donut Stop in St. Louis
- Montana – Granny’s Gourmet Donuts in Bozeman
- Nebraska – Olsen Bake Shop in Omaha
- Nevada – Pink Box Doughnuts in Las Vegas
- New Hampshire – Muriel’s in Lebanon
- New Jersey – Uncle Dood’s Donuts in Toms River
- New Mexico – Whoo’s Donuts in Santa Fe
- New York – Dough in Brooklyn
- North Carolina – Britt’s Donuts in Carolina Beach
- North Dakota – Sandy’s Donuts (various locations)
- Ohio – Bill’s Donut Shop in Centerville
- Oklahoma – Polar Donuts in Oklahoma City
- Oregon – Voodoo Doughnut in Portland
- Pennsylvania – Federal Donuts in Philadelphia
- Rhode Island – Allie’s Donuts in North Kingstown
- South Carolina – Glazed Gourmet Doughnuts in Charleston
- South Dakota – Jerry’s Cakes and Donuts in Rapid City
- Tennessee – Fox’s Donut Den in Nashville
- Texas – Gourdough’s in Austin
- Utah – Banbury Cross Donuts in Salt Lake City
- Vermont – The Doughnut Dilemma in Burlington
- Virginia – Sugar Shack (various locations)
- Washington – Top Pot Doughnuts in Seattle
- Washington DC – Astro
- West Virginia – JR’s Donut Castle in Parkersburg
- Wisconsin – Manderfield’s Home Bakery in Fox Valley
- Wyoming – Cowboy Donuts in Rock Springs
Anyone up for a summer road trip??
Donuts vs. Doughnuts
A common source of confusion and head scratching, there are multiple ways to spell our beloved treat: donut vs. doughnut. This leads us into the eternal debate, which do you use and when??
There are a few different theories out there on how we should be focusing our spelling (see Huff Post) but I feel I must share my personal opinion on the matter:
Donut: The classic, laid back, non-assuming, humble friend. Generally speaking, cheap and no-frills. Fried and more often than not served in a nondescript white bag or pink box. Your best friend who knows all your secrets and would never tell a soul. Tried and true.
Doughnut: The fancy, rich dough cousin with the latest iPhone and over a thousand Instagram followers. Funky, innovative flavors. Maybe baked or something else insane like gluten-free (God forbid). Slightly bougie but likable. The cool kid in high school everyone wants to be friends with.
What are your thoughts?? Comment below!
Astro Doughnuts & Fried Chicken
Astro Doughnuts & Fried Chicken – Washington, DC
Holyyyyyyy. Guys, this is as good as it sounds. Doughnuts AND fried chicken. Seriously, what a phenomenon.
If you’re in DC this is an absolute must. Their small shop downtown on G Street is in such a prime location that most of the time I just so happen to be walking around in the area when I decide yup, a doughnut and some chicken is a great idea. It doesn’t matter what time of the day, or whether or not you just finished a rather large breakfast/brunch/lunch, there is always room for one of these doughnuts and a piece of this deliciously crispy fried chicken.
There are a lot of great tag team duos out there, but I would argue that 20x more heroic than Batman and Robin is Astro’s creme brulee doughnut and fried chicken breast. First, the fried chicken: !@#%&*#!#@! (Yeah, that good.) I can’t emphasize enough how amazing crispy and moist this stuff is. And you know a chicken joint is legit when you don’t even have to ask for hot sauce. It’s the type of chicken you buy to take home for dinner later but end up eating half of everything on the car ride home because it smells and tastes that damn good.
Aaaaand the creme brulee.
There are many good creme brulee doughnuts out there, but unlike the others, this doughnut is filled around the exterior of the yeast dough rather than stuffed and filled in the center. It makes for a much more evenly distributed cream filling and less ooze and gooze than what you get from a filled doughnut. It’s perfectly sweet and not too intense making it great for any occasion and a treat any time of the day.
The flamed sugar glazed exterior is just straight sexy. Crispy, sweet, and creamy, this texture and flavor party is something you don’t want to miss out on. There are tons of other great doughnuts on the menu but it’s so hard to get anything but this classic tried and true piece of heaven.
Now, I am typically a yeast doughnut type of girl but every now and then a good cake doughnut pops up and takes me by surprise. That’s exactly what happened with this toasted coconut chocolate cake.
This was probably the most moist thing I have ever had the pleasure of eating. The coconut wasn’t too overpowering and the chocolate cake was so smooth and soft and delicious. Just a testament for how amazing their cake doughnuts are.
Whether you’re visiting and taking a detour from the White House or you’re in need a break from your busy work day or weekend in the city, Astro will be there for you with open arms: a doughnut in one hand and a drumstick in the other.
Dedicating this post to one of my most inspiring patients. Because anytime I can talk about food and doughnuts in the office, it’s a great day.
Eater’s “Everything You Need to Know About the Great American Doughnut”
I often get questions about what the different types of doughnuts are, where they came from, and which is my favorite. I loved this article from Eater on “Everything You Need to Know About the Great American Doughnut.”
Here they break down the 7 types of American Doughnuts and where to get them. An ode to the yeast, cake, jelly, cream, old-fashioned, cruller, and long John. Enjoy!
Donut Tuesdays with Twin DO-Nuts
Sure, working for the VA Boston Healthcare System is great because we get the opportunity to serve the veterans that served our country. What is also great about working here is having co-workers down for some dough. It all started a few months ago when I brought in a dozen from Twin DO-Nuts in Allston, MA.
This isn’t exactly on my way to work, but since when does that matter when chasing doughnuts. Twin is everything I love about a small family owned donut shop. It’s no corporate, mundane chain **cough, Dunkin, cough** and as you can see from the storefront is has it’s own unique character. The sign is as iconic in Allston as Randy’s huge donut is in LA (see Hole in the Sky).
And obviously the donuts are freaking great. Classic flavors: glazed, chocolate glazed, chocolate frosted, lemon, jelly, powered, sugar raised, old fashioned. Can’t ever go wrong with the fluffy yeast donuts and traditional cake pairings. And for $8 for a dozen, it’s hard not to make everyday a donut day.
Since this first introduction, a weekly tradition has begun and Donut Tuesdays/Wednesdays/Thursdays have emerged thanks to generous contributions from some awesome co-workers. Thanks to this movement, we have also sampled masterpieces from the lots of Blackbird Doughnuts in the South End, Mike’s Donuts in Mission Hill, and Doughboy Donuts & Deli in Southie. And of course this is New England, so it’s impossible to get away without having a few Dunkins as well. So this proves that it’s not just me; these guys are also suckers for donuts any day of the week.
Blackbird Doughnuts
Boston’s South End is home to some of the city’s best food. One of it’s most recent additions is Blackbird Doughnuts down on Tremont Street. New England and Boston in particular is home to the infamous, mediocre Dunkin Donut so I was beyond thrilled to learn that there was a new shop making fresh doughnuts in the Town.
Blackbird makes gourmet doughnuts with some very fun, very delicious flavor. On my first visit a few weeks into their grand opening, I tried a few of these bad boys:
Starting from the top right working clockwise: Wild Berry Bismark, Buffalo Frito, Pineapple Habanero, and Dark Chocolate Pomegranate. Amazing flavors. The most unique and my favorite was the Buffalo Frito. With the sweet and savory combination topped with that drizzle of Frank’s hot sauce, my taste buds died and went to heaven. The doughnut itself is a dense yeast doughnut that is heavier than most I’ve had. These guys are jacked with dough. Similar to that guy at the gym that keeps hogging the weight bench, think solid, packing some real muscle.
The shop is open Thursdays-Sundays 7am to 3pm. It’s a small space with standing room only so be prepared to congregate in the corner or take them outside to enjoy. Another great option is walking down the street to the Starbucks or the park a few blocks down for some more seating.
I was very excited to share the experience with my good friends Jenny and Norm a few weeks ago during their visit to Boston. Among all of the seafood (in particular the 5 dozen oysters) we enjoyed, we also spent a Sunday with a few of these little guys.
What keeps me coming back are the crazy good flavors and thick glazed coating on each of these guys. The salted toffee is however by far my favorite. Salt and sweet and perfectly balanced. This salted toffee is the Blackbird poster child and it’s impossible to leave without devouring one.
They will usually have a few daily specials depending on the season so there is always something new to try. Last Sunday I stopped by with a few friends and made out with this pepperoni pizza, s’mores, and of course a salted toffee.
As always the salted toffee was phenomenal, the pepperoni pizza was a savory treat, and the s’mores with fluff and chocolate ganache did not disappoint.
If you are lucky enough to find yourself in the South End, Blackbird is a must!
Buzzfeed’s “33 Doughnuts You Have To Try Before You Die”
Thank you Buzzfeed for this:
- Apple Cider Fritter from Blue Star Donuts in Portland, OR.
- Why: They are made from leftover holes throughout the day so it pulls apart like magic.
- Nutella Doughnut from Hurts Donuts in Springfield, MO
- Why: Nutella filled. End of story.
- Cafe au Lait from Dough in Brooklyn, NY
- Why: Made with roasted coffee beans and topped with pecan brown sugar.
- Evil Elvis from Hypnotic Donuts in Dallas, TX
- Why: Peanut butter, bacon, bananas, and a honey drizzle.
- Chocolate Old Fashioned from Stan’s in Los Angeles, CA (original) and Chicago, IL
- Why: Zesty orange with semisweet chocolate.
- Bacon Maple Apple from Dynamo Donut & Coffee in San Francisco, CA
- Why: All of the ingredients are incorporated into the dough preparation.
- Salted Caramel & Reduced Balsamic Vinegar from Sublime Doughnuts in Atlanta, GA
- Why: Sweet and tangy. And as their tagline says “Eat one that’s worth it.”
- Malasada from Leonard’s Bakery in Honolulu, HI
- Why: Crispy on the outside and soft in the inside.
- Personal side note: Get one filled with guava and topped with li hing. I dream about the day I get to have another one of these little guys again.
- Oreo from Mojo Donuts in Hollywood, FL
- Why: Homemade cookies and cream filling.
- Traditional cake from A Baker’s Wife in Minneapolis, MN
- Why: No-frills perfection with the right amount of crunchy.
- Hulk Hogan Fudgie Wudgie from The Cinnamon Snail Food Truck in New York, NY
- Why: Vegan and gluten-free options (if you’re into that sort of thing).
- Driftwood from Cops & Doughnuts in Clare, MI
- Why: Coconut cream topped with chocolate ganache and toasted coconut. Owned 100% by police officers!
- Fresh Strawberry from The Donut Man in Glendora, CA
- Why: Fresh, in-season produce handpicked that morning with homemade glaze.
- Personal side note: strawberry season is early summer, peach in late summer.
- Purple Goat from Glazed in Charleston, SC
- Why: Berry goat cheese filling topped with lavender icing.
- Brown Butter Hazelnut Crunch from Union Square Donuts in Somerville, MA
- Why: Crispy crunchy hazelnut crumble.
- Personal side note: You can also get these donuts at the SOWA market in Boston’s South End late spring to early fall, but go early because they will sell out.
- Maple Bacon Bar from Varsity Donuts in Manhattan, KS
- Why: Maple icing, crispy bacon then coming right back for more icing.
- Glazed from Amish Baking Company in Manchester, TN
- Why: Available at Bonnaroo!
- Apple Fritter from Randy’s Donuts in Los Angeles, CA
- Why: Perfect balance of soft and crunchy… and you can get one through the drive-thru.
- Personal side note: “Hole in the Sky”
- Anything from Round Rock Donuts in Round Rock, TX
- Why: Everything is bigger in Texas.
- Coconut Glazed from The Downyflake in Nantucket, MA
- Why: In the breakfast battle of donut vs toast for your breakfast side, donut always wins.
- Cinnamon Caramel from Rise’n Roll Bakery in Fort Wayne, IN
- Why: Caramel icing perfectly coated with cinnamon sugar.
- Blueberry Crumble from Art City Donuts in Utah Valley, UT
- Why: Mini donuts traveling around in a food truck.
- Frosted Angel Cream from Paula’s Donuts in Buffalo, NY
- Why: They boast a secret ingredient that can’t be found in chain shops and they can be ordered in the size of a cake.
- Doughnut of the month from Krumpe’s Do-nuts in Hagerstown, MD
- Why: Seasonal surprises including caramel apple and s’mores.
- Maple Bar from The Original House of Donuts in Lakewood, WA
- Why: Local and handmade since the 1950s.
- Honey Doughnuts and Fried Chicken from Federal Donuts in Philadelphia, PA
- Why: Fried chicken with a side choice of naked, seasoned, or glazed.
- Spa from Little Bigs in Portland, ME
- Why: House-made nut and berry granola, greek yogurt, drizzled with honey.
- Chestnut Glazed from Doughnut Vault in Chicago, IL
- Why: Nutty notes to counterbalance this sweet classic icing.
- Personal side note: FAVORITE. MUST HAVE.
- Heavenly Hash from Gourdough’s in Austin, TX
- Why: Marshmallow, chocolate fudge icing topped with fudge candy.
- Daddy Dearest from Glam Doll Donuts in Minneapolis, MN
- Why: BEER cake donut topped with bacon and a buttery crumble.
- Ice Cream Sandwich from Peter Pan Donuts in Brooklyn, NY
- Why: You can finally get away with having ice cream for breakfast.
- Chipotle Caramel from Pink Box Doughnuts in Las Vegas, NV
- Why: Sugar and spice and everything nice in Sin City.
- Hot fresh glazed from Krispy Kreme in AMERICA
- Why: Did you not see that “Fresh Donuts Now” sign?? Hello nostalgia.
Chasing Doughnuts 